The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB
East Carolina
Blazers Force Seven Turnovers, Fall 28-23 At East Carolina
9/24/2011 12:00:00 AM | Football
Sept. 24, 2011
GREENVILLE, N.C. -- The UAB defense forced seven East Carolina turnovers Saturday and the Blazers clawed back from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to give themselves a chance in the closing minutes before falling 28-23 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
Running back Pat Shed led UAB (0-3, 0-2 C-USA) with 59 yards and a touchdown on the ground to go with 62 receiving yards on a career-best 11 catches. Quarterback Bryan Ellis threw for 177 yards on 22-for-32 passing before suffering an injury and giving way to Jonathan Perry, who completed 9 of 16 passes for 106 yards.
Blazer linebacker Greg Irvin recovered a school-record four fumbles, and safety Jamie Bender gave UAB a defensive score with a 35-yard interception return for a touchdown.
With UAB trailing by 11 early in the fourth quarter, Perry led the Blazers on an 80-yard scoring drive, which included a 51-yard pass play to Patrick Hearn. Shed's touchdown two plays later capped the drive and made the score 28-23.
Cornerback Marquis Coleman got the ball back for the Blazers with seven minutes left on an interception deep in UAB's own territory, and Perry again drove the team down the field.
UAB moved the ball 73 yards and converted three third downs before the drive stalled on a 4th-and-8 at the ECU 18-yard line. Shed nearly came down with a remarkable touchdown grab in the corner of the endzone, but the ball came loose at the end and the Pirates ran out the clock.
Quarterback Dominique Davis threw three touchdowns and three interceptions for East Carolina (1-2, 1-0 C-USA), completing 35 of 42 passes for 361 yards. ECU running back Reggie Bullock rushed for 169 yards and a touchdown on 24 carries.
UAB safety Chase Daniel intercepted Davis' first attempt of the day, and the teams went on to combine for 10 turnovers. The seven turnovers forced by UAB (three interceptions and four fumbles) marked the most for the Blazers in a single game since the 2004 season and came up two shy of the school record.
Receiver Jackie Williams, who had a career-best seven catches, scored UAB's first offensive touchdown of the year in the opening quarter when he scampered 15 yards on a reverse to tie the game at 7-7. After a touchdown grab by ECU's Lance Lewis and a field goal from UAB's Ty Long, the Pirates took a 14-10 lead into the half.
Bender's interception return early in the third gave UAB its only lead at 17-14, but a Bullock touchdown run and another scoring grab from Lewis put East Carolina on top 28-17 before Perry tried to bring the Blazers back.
UAB returns to action next weekend with another road contest when the Blazers battle in-state foe Troy in a non-conference matchup Saturday, Oct. 1 in Troy, Ala.
